White for Life
by In this world live all worlds
Summary: Sequel to ‘Green is the Beginning’ The Rangers organize a reunion; the perfect chance for Tommy to ask Grace something that’s been on his mind. Meanwhile his dreams are becoming more vivid and an old enemy reappears…
1. Another Beginning

**White for Life**

Disclaimer: No I don't own Power Rangers but there's that saying isn't there? 'Hope springs…'no not that one; 'If I kill everyone else they will be MINE!' I also now have to disclaim that I am not a crazy axe murdering psycho…thank you for being so understanding.

**Yes I know I haven't updated for ages but Uni turned out to be incredibly hectic and then when I came back for the holidays I had to revise for exams and move house, so I can only apologize! **

**Okay people this is the sequel to 'Green is the Beginning' **

**The Rangers organize a reunion of the old teams and friends, Tommy decides to take Grace with him to meet all of his friends and he needs to ask her something that's been on his mind for a while. Meanwhile his dreams are becoming more vivid and it looks like an old enemy is about to reappear…**

**Chapter 1 – Another Beginning **

"_Tommy we need you…it's where you belong." Tommy looked at Jason and his offered hand, the others watching expectantly. Just like that, they would forgive him just like that. They were all smiling, had watched him destroy the things they knew and still smiled like it had never happened. _

_Where did he belong? He hadn't really belonged with his parents, hadn't belonged in L.A and obviously didn't belong somewhere like Angel Grove. It was nice to think that just for a moment he could be sure that he was wanted and that for once he belonged somewhere; a home found in a different place… He turned doubtfully to look at Kim dressed in her usual pink, she nodded and grinned._

_There were so many reasons not to accept that hand that was offered to him, so many reasons why he should brush their offer of friendship off and leave this place before it was too late… He slipped his hand into Jason's with a small and uncertain smile._

Tommy opened his eyes. _"Too late." _ The voice inside his head whispered; a voice that never really went away, a voice that has grown louder of late. He sighed and sat up, scrubbing his hands through his hair and finally letting his head fall into them, inexplicably exhausted.

All of his dreams had been like that lately; draining his energy and his optimism, every one was like a memory but everything seemed so distorted as though in revisiting them he had seen more than had been previously clear. He had been unsure at their offer of friendship and being part of a team he had come close to destroying but he had forgotten that he had wanted to say no, he had forgotten that he had known he didn't really fit in. Before when he had looked back, he had seen his wariness but never his need for escape; he wondered now how he had forgotten such thoughts.

He pushed himself up and pulled a black jumper over his head, he padded bare foot down the stairs and into his kitchen; coffee was the best remedy right now. But even as he sat at the table with a steaming mug cupped in his hands he still felt tired and his mind wandered over his past life. He was pretty sure it had gotten better after his initial doubts, he'd become friends with a large group of people he was still close with, he'd done things most people only dreamed about. He'd met robots, galactic beings, and pirates, been to other planets and fought monsters; surely it had all been worth it?

He shook his head, what the hell was he thinking? Of course it had been worth it, he was still here and if he hadn't been a Power Ranger who knew what he would have done with his life. The power had given him so much, had given him a life really and with it he had done so many things, and now he was a teacher and an expert in his field; a field that didn't just involve fossils and bones, but an expert in the Power Grid and a famed power ranger. Until recently he had mentored a group of bright kids who had become power rangers in their own right; they had worked well together and he had been proud to be part of their team.

He stood, feeling better than he had for days and with a smile on his face. He emptied the dregs of his coffee into the sink and set the mug to one side. There was a week until the end of term and he had little work to do so he had a weekend of relative freedom which was a nice change…and there were no monsters to fight. There hadn't been any for almost a year but he still remembered the fights like they had been only yesterday and besides there were many surprises in life, although he seriously doubted they would come in the form of Anton Mercer and his new fiancée Miss Randall. It seemed that a lot of good could come from a hell of a lot of bad.

A flash of pain across his chest sent him to his knees, his hand clutching the jumper as though attempting to tear the pain out. _"You always were so naïve." _That voice whispered through his head again and the pain intensified.

"Who are you?" Tommy managed to grit out.

"_No good ever came of evil."_ The voice spat in reply, and as though in a flashback Tommy saw himself laughing as his friends lay at his feet.

He shook his head wildly; that was over long ago and he was forgiven…it hadn't been his fault. "Who are you?" He ground out again.

"_You still don't know? You're more stupid than I thought."_ It disappeared and so too did the pain. He was left knelt on the floor in the silence with a strange impression that he had been talking to himself…again.

Tommy shook his head, ridding himself of the last of the pain; he pulled himself up using one of the kitchen chairs. He leant heavily against and caught his breath, it was getting worse he knew that, but who was he supposed to tell and what was he supposed to do? He still didn't understand what it was but it would go away…it had to go away. He stood straight and made his way up stairs again; he had better things to do than sit around and wonder if he was going crazy.

**A**_**/N Okay people that was the first of hopefully many chapters. As you can see Tommy's got a problem on his hands but doesn't understand the seriousness of the situation…So any how tell me what you think and I hope I can up date soon! Xxx**_


	2. A necklace

**Chapter 2 – A Necklace**

Grace was lying on the floor again. She'd definitely felt it this time, the floor part was a dead giveaway.

She wrapped her hand around the green gem that hung around her neck. It was a keep sake more than anything, Tommy had said she could keep it because it hadn't been destroyed but the power had and so it was of no importance.

There were times, like this one in fact, that she felt something stir within her and she could never be quite sure but she thought the gem grew warm. It was probably her fancy and nothing else, but there had been that…no, the power was gone…Right?

She sat up setting her back to the sofa and attempting to dispel the dizziness she felt. There had been that time though; the one where that dog had been limping, all she'd done was pick it up and give its paw a rub; the limp had disappeared. She shook her head with a smile, it had obviously been a minor injury and like a child had only needed it rubbed better.

The smile faded, but there had been that rose Tommy had given her the night of the school prom. It had begun to fade and she remembered desperately wishing that it would stay fresh forever, had run her fingers over the petals sadly and the next day it had been fresh like it was newly opened.

She shook her head again, she had something along the same lines to Tommy and he had simply brushed it off as residual power from her gem as the last of its power faded. He was right of course, there was no power left there to use.

She lifted herself up onto the sofa behind her and sat back with a sigh. Those events and explanations did not however, explain away the fact that she had ended up on the floor again. She remembered the feelings like an old memory, already fading and insubstantial; the pain and fear which had seemed so real and confused, swirled together as she had held the green gem. Then that anger had come, the irrational anger that head drowned out the confusion and left her struggling for breath, the anger and the cold that had swept over her. It had frightened her, that irrational anger had had no meaning and no cause; she'd felt herself falling and it was the bump that had brought her out of that miserable place.

She stood again and looked in the mirror that hung over her small fireplace, her pale face stared back at her, the disquiet that had come over her was still evident and she shivered at the look and the thought. She quickly dropped her hand from around the gem and told herself not to be so silly and to stop fiddling with the necklace like a child wanting a safety blanket. Would she have even felt anything if she had not been holding it?

Decisively she turned and made her way upstairs to her room. She pulled the small jewelry box off of her chest of drawers and pulled the necklace from around her neck. She studied it for a moment turning the silver chain over her fingers and watching the way the light gleamed on the roughly shaped gem. It was better off here, where it could not be seen and more importantly could not be touched; she dropped it into a small silk pouch and placed it at the bottom box. Closing the lid with a sigh she placed it back on the drawers and stood for a moment; she felt the disappearance of its presence which was strange, she had obviously gotten used to wearing it all the time; she would have to find something else to fill its place. She gave a firm nod, she was being silly and sentimental again, she didn't need the gem and besides it was just a necklace!

She turned and looked out of the window into the quiet street below, the gravel drive was empty but she knew that Tommy would be coming soon; he'd arranged to take her to lunch that afternoon. She couldn't help but smile at the thought, they'd been together almost a year now and even now it was still barely believable; he wanted her, of all people! He was always so sweet and kind to her, such a gentleman but yet so much fun…she blushed even though there was no one to know what she was thinking.

She pulled up a chair and sat with her chin resting on her hands. The summer was nearly here and the sun was always shining, Tommy would probably suggest they go to the park again and take her to that café that sold the best sandwiches in Reefside. She sighed and smiled, she finally had someone to spend the summer with and she had a feeling it was going to be a good holiday this year.

_**A/N Yes I know its short but imagination hasn't had much of a break lately, whoever said the first year of uni was easier was an idiot. I'll try to update as soon as possible though! Any how tell me what you think so far, all comments are welcome! xxx **_


	3. Organisation

**Kim's worrying about her friend and Tommy's got a headache…**

**Chapter 3 – Organization**

Kim gave a satisfied sigh as she sat back, the last of the envelopes were sealed and by tomorrow the maps and directions to the reunion would be on their way to the Rangers who were able to come. It was going to be such a good time she could feel it; so many old faces to see and friends coming together again, it was more of an 'oldies' reunion as Jason had called it. Kim smiled again at the thought of seeing them all again, together like the team they had been before.

Her smile dropped from her face as she caught sight of the very last letter and the name that was still to be crossed off of her list; Tommy. Jason had mentioned some problems concerning their friend but he had said that it was all sorted now, if that was so why hadn't she heard from him? There had been no reply from the former leader, no acceptance and no reason why he couldn't come, nothing at all.

She picked up her letter and re-read it; she'd reminded him of the date and even given him the map and directions, just in case. She'd tried not to make it sound like she was worrying, had tried to keep it as a light as possible, she'd even made a joke about snail mail, but if he read between the lines the worry was there to see. She rubbed a hand over her face tiredly, it was no use worrying it would do nothing for the man who was a hundred miles away. She could only hope those miles hadn't made him believe he was alone. She leant forward and turned off the desk lamp, leaving the room enveloped in darkness.

………………………………………………………………….

"Higher Mrs Tennson!" Grace's voices rang out loudly across the room over the heads of the women present. Tommy couldn't help but smile despite his headache as the rather harmless looking lady gave a grin and gave her opponent a rather vicious right hook, missed the pads and then had to apologize for knocking the other woman's glasses off. He did a double take as he realized the slightly shocked woman was Mrs Wilson, a graying woman who taught English literature at the school.

Grace gave him a quick grin from over the top of two women whose stance she was correcting; he returned it before sitting down at the back of the room. He rubbed his temples and watched in wonder as the women proceeded and everywhere there was an air of determination. He initially been surprised at Grace's announcement that she was going to start a self defence class during the summer break but it seemed to be going reasonably well.

At first it had been something to do with the Women's Guidance Centre in Reefside, set up to combat and help those who had been the victims of abuse, Grace had muttered something about owing Mrs Cornell; who headed the centre, a favour for something that had happened. Her obvious reluctance to talk about it had made him curious but all he could ever get out of her on the subject was a bright red blush.

She was doing well though, it was obvious that becoming a Power Ranger; if only for a short while, had done her good. It had done the others good, had improved the way they loved their lives, just as it had done for them all; every ranger in history, and he had been there at the 

beginning. Earth had needed the power rangers again after so long and Zordon had showed them all the way, he still did; living on through the power ranger legacy and inspiring them all. He pulled out the headache pills and checked the bottle; half an hour until he could take some more, which was a relief. He turned back to watching the class and thinking about the past.

It was so much harder without the supreme inter-dimensional being to guide them; they had to rely on each other even more and teachings were only as good as their teachers. For a long time he had wondered at his own adequacy, and it was not until he had seen Grace struggle with her self doubt that he had realized that nothing was as bad as it had seemed; he was good enough he only doubted himself, could not see what everyone else saw. He and Grace had helped each other over the year until their self confidence had risen; Grace's self defense class was proof of that.

A sharp pain sliced through his temples and made his hiss in pain, he shook his head to make it pass and looked back up at Grace. _"Foolish."_ This class was worse than useless; did she really think this would help? Tommy snorted in amusement as he watched Grace reposition a woman's hands and feet. _"Pathetic."_ Everything she hoped for would come to nothing; she would never be anything other than a frightened little girl playing at being the hero. What was he doing with such a useless woman; surely there was someone out there who was better for him?

He winced again as the pain returned full measure and rubbed his hand over his forehead. Where had those thoughts come from? He felt vaguely sick with himself and his mind reeled in horror. Why would he even begin to think like that? He loved Grace he was sure of that, he had told her so and he wouldn't lie, what she did now was brave not pathetic at all, he admired her for it. What the hell was going on in his head..?

"Tommy?" He jerked his head up at the sound of his name. Grace was bent to look at him; her hand resting on his shoulder and the room behind was empty.

"Are you okay? I've been calling your name for the last few minutes, the class is finished." She smiled at him in a worried way.

He put his hand over hers and managed to smile back. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. My head's just elsewhere today, it must just be the headache."

Grace frowned slightly. "You still have that? That started yesterday; perhaps you should go to the doctors."

He smiled again and shook his head. "I've got some tablets now, I'm sure it will go soon enough." He stood and put an arm around her. "How about we go back to mine and get something to eat?"

_**A/N Yeah, yeah I know its been nearly a year since I updated and I'm sorry but everythings been so hectic since I started uni and even when I do hve time to write I seem to be having some trouble with the wonderful writers block. So my apologies guys! Please review though and I shall try my hardest to keep going! xxx**_


	4. Advice from a friend

**Hayley gives some useful advice and Tommy reaches a decision.**

**Chapter 4 - Advice from a Friend**

"A reunion?" Hayley smiled at Tommy as he fidgeted on his stool. The Cyber café was quiet that afternoon despite the fact summer break was in full swing and the students of Reefside had plenty of spare time. "Are you going to take the others?"

Tommy leant against the counter and took a sip of his coffee. "I thought about it but I don't know if they'll be back in time, I mean they're all pretty busy with their new lives. Which is good," He finished hurriedly at the frown on Hayley's face. "Of course it's good, they have their whole lives ahead of them and they're doing something with it, you know making something of themselves."

Hayley nodded. "What about Grace?" She couldn't help but smile at the look on his face, so that was the crux of the problem.

Tommy sighed. "Yeah, I've thought about it."

"And…" Hayley prompted.

"I'm not so sure it's a good idea." He replied.

"What?" Hayley failed to keep the disbelief and confusion from her voice, it seemed kind of odd considering he and Grace had been together nearly a year.

He sighed again. "I know, I know. I just worry whether they'll like each other. I mean if she doesn't get along with them what will I do?"

"Tommy your friends are amazing, they seem to like just about everybody, and Grace gets along with everyone too."

"But that's precisely what's wrong," Tommy replied with a groan. "If they don't like her then there's something seriously wrong with her but I do whose judgment do I trust? I've known them almost all my life and I'd trust them with it so they wouldn't dislike her without a reason."

Hayley stared at him like he was a moron. "And you're also worried that she won't like them in which case there's definitely something wrong with her?"

"Yes!" Tommy seemed relieved that she understood. "And no," He continued. "Either there's something wrong with her or there's something wrong with them and then what am I supposed to do?"

Hayley wanted to bang his head on the table in frustration. "You have got to be kidding me!" She groaned. "Tommy you are exactly like your friends and you like Grace yes?" At his nod she continued. "Because of who you are you wouldn't like Grace if she wasn't like your friends right?"

Tommy seemed to think about it for a minute, trying to follow the logic. "Okay."

Hayley smiled then. "Ergo they have to like each other!" Tommy still looked like he was worrying so she sighed and continued. "Tommy you're trying to over think everything and come up with every bad scenario you can possibly think of, no wonder you're panicking you're not being level headed. If you acted like this during battle you'd be dead!"

"I guess." Tommy replied with an embarrassed smile. "Do you think she'd be offended if I didn't take her? I mean, she knows I'm going."

Hayley rolled her eyes. "Come on Tommy this is Grace; the girl probably thinks you're going alone!"

Tommy looked confused. "What?"

"You know her better than anyone but being a man you're kinda' slow." She replied with a sigh. "For example the other day when you walked in here and went 'Hi gorgeous' I could tell instantly that she wanted to turn and look for who you were talking to, and then she went bright red when she realized you meant her!"

She's not that bad!" Tommy protested.

Hayley shrugged, running a cloth over the counter. "Anyone can tell she'd got low self esteem, that's why I said to be gentle with her; and with you around…"

Tommy threw his hands up in defense. "Whoah! Now what's that supposed to mean?"

Hayley raised an eyebrow with a smile and shrugged. "All I'm saying is who can blame her? You're not exactly ugly Tommy and I've yet to meet a woman who would say no, hell, I probably-"

Tommy threw his hands up again and backed off of his stool. "Don't do it Hayley!" She thought he sounded slightly panicked, it made her grin. "There are some things I _really_ don't need to know!"

She rolled her eyes again. "Friends only Tommy, friends. Look, all I'm saying is that Grace is probably still living in disbelief, she's way too modest to believe she has anything to offer you so basically she won't make any demands of you because she thinks she going to wake up any minute!"

"You sound like you're speaking from experience." Tommy frowned at her insight and the openness with which she was sharing it.

She blushed slightly. "Trust me, nearly every girl has at least one beautiful man in her life; if she's lucky she will keep him and if she's unlucky she'll wake up."

"Wha-" Tommy began to ask.

This time it was Hayley who threw her hands up. "No, you won't get anymore out of me!" She passed him a cup of fresh coffee with a smile. "Don't over think it Tommy; just ask her to go with you." With that she left to serve a new customer.

Tommy sighed and watched her go, it was possible that she was right and he supposed being a woman she would have more insight into Grace's mindset; he knew she had seen the first few difficult days of Grace's recovery after the defeat of the Acanthid, it was possible she understood even better than him. He worried though, worried about the times he felt irrationally angry and annoyed with her; he didn't understand it and when the thoughts were gone he was left only with the guilt of thinking it. It was as if someone else invaded his head in those moments.

He turned back to the counter with a sigh and caught sight of the pictures hanging on the wall. In the midst of them all was a photo of Grace singing on stage with Kira, she looked so beautiful in the wispy green dress and a big smile on her face, he remembered the night all too well. The thought of it made him smile. He would take her with him, he could ask her something he'd been wanting to for some time, she would meet all the people he loved the most; it would be fun for them all and he wanted his friends to meet Grace, he was sure they'd love her too.


	5. Contact

**Kim gets one kind of contact and Grace and Tommy get another…**

**Chapter 5 – Contact**

"Kat! Kat!" The blonde woman lifted her sunglasses in askance as an excited Kim burst out into the garden bathed in bright sunshine. "I finally got a reply!"

Kat smiled at her friend. "Another one, I thought everyone had replied?"

Kim grinned at her and thrust the letter into Kat's hands. "Look, look it's from Tommy, he finally replied, and guess what; he's coming!"

Kat quickly scanned the letter in front of her and lifted an eyebrow. "It sounds as if he's been busy." She murmured.

Kim sighed and sat down heavily on the recliner next to Kat's. "Jason did say it'd been tough on him, but I was starting to worry he wouldn't come. It wouldn't have been the same without him would it?"

Kat shook her head in reply and continued reading. "Have you read this yet?"

"No." Kim leaned in to scan the page. "I hadn't had a chance I was too excited I had to show you." She frowned slightly. "Why what does it say?"

Kat gave a little shrug. "Just apologizing for the late reply and such, he certainly hasn't changed that much."

Kim looked at her enquiringly and Kat smiled. "He said he forgot to reply." Kim rolled her eyes and shook her head, a smile on her face. "He's bringing someone." She continued after a few moments silence.

"Really?" Kim leaned in again to read it for herself; she gave a giggle of excitement. "I wonder what she's like; he obviously likes her if he's bringing her to meet us."

Kat grinned. "Apparently so, after all I don't think I've ever met any of his other girlfriends."

Kim sat back on her chair, taking in the sunshine. "Well you've been in England for a while, but you are right; only Jason and Adam have met any of his previous girlfriends and only once even then."

"She's called Grace." Kat replied as she kept reading the letter.

Kim shrugged. "Pretty name."

"She was a ranger for a while!" Kat exclaimed suddenly. "The green ranger, before the powers were destroyed Tommy says."

Kim smiled again. "Keeping it in the family."

Kat couldn't help but laugh and roll her eyes at that comment. "At least it saves awkward conversations and such, although I guess he would have told her by now, do you think?" She turned to Kim with the query.

Kim sighed and frowned. "I don't know Kat, Tommy always used to be so honest and open, you and I know that for certain; he was always good at making friends but you know he used be…" She tailed off looking for the right word. "Awkward is the best word I can think of, when it came to sharing things about himself with strangers. He had to trust them implicitly before he did that, and you know he started trying to protect everyone from everything." She shrugged. "Maybe it's just as well he found another ranger, at least they'd understand that aspect of him."

"Hmm…" Kat smiled down at the letter.

"Hello ladies!" Zack waved his beer at them in greeting. "Rocky not back yet?"

Kim waved vaguely. "He mentioned something about a pretty girl working at the store down the road." Zack chuckled.

"Tommy's coming." Kat said showing Zack the letter. "He says that he might be a bit late but he'll be there."

Zack rolled his eyes. "It's about time! Was beginning to think Jason had lied when he said Tommy was alive."

Kat settled back in her chair next to Kim and slid her sunglasses back on, ready to continue sunbathing. There was a few moments silence.

"Tommy's got a girlfriend." Kim murmured in a sing song voice, and the two girls giggled.

Zack frowned at his friends. "What are you two laughing about?"

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Tommy turned off the water and stepped out of the shower with a quick shake of his head to rid his hair of the excess water. He pulled a towel off of the rail and wrapped it around his waist, grabbing a smaller one for his hair.

"You know I was supposed to be going away for a couple of months right?" He called into the next room.

"I know Tommy!" Grace's voice was muffled through the wall. "Please don't tell me you've changed you mind again, you're starting to make me dizzy with it all!" Her laugh was lighthearted and made him smile. He stepped out of the bathroom and into his bedroom, still toweling his hair. He stopped at the sight of her sprawled on her side on his bed and dressed in one of his old green t-shirts, a smile on her face as she looked through some old photographs. It was a sight that made him smile and love her even more; she just looked like she belonged there.

"You haven't seen them for so long." She waved one of the pictures of the old team at him. "They must miss you as much you miss them, besides I think it would do you good to get away for a while."

"Do you?" He raised an eyebrow at her tone, he tossed the small towel to one side, ignoring her sigh; she was always telling him off for that.

"Yes." She continued with mock seriousness. "You know I'm always right…well most of the time anyway and this happens to be one of those times." She put the photos on his side table and sat up, crossing her arms and watching him.

It only made him smile again; only a few months ago she wouldn't have felt confident enough teasing him just in case she annoyed him, now she could hold her own.

"Well…" He moved closer, a dangerous smile on his face. "You know how I'm right the rest of the time?"

She frowned. "Yes." She replied cautiously.

"I happen to think you look very sexy right now."

She gave a slightly nervous laugh and shifted on the bed. "You're changing the subject again Tommy."

"Am I?" He replied innocently.

"Yes." She frowned again as he moved closer until he was beside the bed. "Don't you dare…" She leapt off of the bed but he lunged and caught her, pulling her back until she 

was underneath him. "You just got out of the shower!" She exclaimed as he gave her a swift kiss.

He grinned down at her. "Yep!" he shook his damp head over her, laughing at the squeal she gave as the cold water sprayed across her skin.

"You bastard!" She laughed and pulled him down for another kiss, she loved the feel of him across her even though he was still wet and the taste of him as he kissed her back.

He pulled back for a moment and looked down at her with a little smile on his face. "Come with me." He murmured.

"What?" She stared back at him in surprise. Hayley had been right after all; she had expected him to go alone.

"Come with me." He repeated with a little kiss on her lips. "I want you to meet them all."

The smile that lit up her face was answer enough. He lowered his head to capture her lips again, deepening the kiss and running his hands over her soft curves, he felt rather than heard her answering moan and could only reply in kind.

He had the urge to possess her, to show her that she was his and his alone; she could neverlook away, she was _his_. His fingers clung to her skin like it was silk, running his hand down her thigh and the other through her hair; she felt so good here with him, her neck was soft and she smelt faintly of perfume. Her hands on his body, smoothing over his wet skin, over his shoulders and down his back, he groaned at the contact. He pulled her even closer lying on top of her and pressing his body against hers; she was his, he had to have her now…_mine_.

He pulled back his breathing heavy as he stared down at her face, what the hell was going on his head? Her eyes flickered over his expression and he wondered what she was seeing. He tried to control his breathing, struggle for control as he looked down at her; for some reason that green t-shirt looked wrong, no; it felt wrong he suddenly didn't like it being on her; too green.

Grace ran her fingertips over his face. "Tommy?"

Tommy took a deep breath and pushed the disturbing thoughts to the back of his mind, he smiled and put his hands to the t-shirt. "Lets get this off you." He murmured breathlessly.

_**A/N Thought I'd stop there as I haven't quite decided whether to keep this story a T or change it to an M, I mean if I did change it would be because of later events rather than sex but hey if I change why not have go at every aspect? Lol. Anyhoo tell me what you think as always all comments are welcome and helpful, they help feed my story! xxx**_


	6. Nightmares

Sorry guys I've been on holiday the last few weeks hence the gap and also got a little stuck during my plan, I was too eager to get to the middle part; something I'm sure every author has felt at some point

**Sorry guys I've been on holiday the last few weeks hence the gap and also got a little stuck during my plan, I was too eager to get to the middle part; something I'm sure every author has felt at some point! Any way I'm not sure I like the next couple of chapters but I guess they're bridging chapters so enjoy them for what they are and I hope you will like what follows! X**

**Chapter 6 – Nightmares**

Grace smiled at the thought of the man she had left in bed fast asleep, clearly exhausted after the last week; he had been drained lately. Hopefully the reunion with his friends would help with everything; he struggled she could see that, he had that constant headache as well. She worried about that all the time, her mind whizzing through possible causes which ranged from lack of sleep to a brain tumor. She had laughed it off of course she couldn't just jump to such conclusions without the slightest evidence, especially when brain tumor's had other symptoms like disorientation or fits or, or… She shook her head there was no reason to panic otherwise she would end up wrapping him in bubble wrap just to keep him safe; there was no use in thinking the worst when it wasn't logical. It was probably just the fact that he hadn't been sleeping lately.

She filled the coffee machine ready for when he woke up, not that it seemed to help; he was always so tired. It was amazing to actually be up before him and she was sure that he didn't sleep at all some nights.

Grace pulled a cup from the cupboard and filled it with apple juice from the fridge and then made her way over to the wide patio doors. The sun was bright and warm heralding another nice day and Tommy's garden was quiet, no longer filled with training teenagers.

She sighed. He sat late into the night sometimes he did nothing; just sat and thought, other times he would watch old movies of his friends and look through hundreds of photographs as though he had forgotten what his friends looked like. When he did sleep he fidgeted constantly, twisting this way and that with the occasional mutter, clearly his dreams were not peaceful.

Pain ripped through her chest and had her clutching at the door frame desperately gasping for breath, what was happening? Her panicked mind raced and she fumbled for her necklace, she remembered taking it off…she stumbled against the small table and chairs that sat on the patio; the glass of juice dropping from her hand and shattering on the floor. She struggled for some form of control. It would be okay, it would. She was just having a dizzy spell, she was too young for a heart attack, she was just panicking over nothing, this really wasn't that bad…the pain eased slightly and her mind cleared a little more. It was okay, she had defeated a scary thorny monster this was nothing in the grand scheme of things, whatever this was it had no hold over her.

Grace stood breathless, the pain was gone and so was the panic. She tried to slow the frantic beating of her heart and kept her hold on the door frame as though she were afraid to let go. It was only the frantic yell that came from upstairs that made her let go and use her unsteady legs. The sound was terrible; it sounded pained but worse than that Tommy sounded frightened.

"Tommy!" Grace yelled his name as she ran through the lounge, tripping over the sofa on her shaky legs. "Tommy!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"_Tommy! Tommy, I have chosen you!"_ Laughter ringing in his ears; his or was it Rita's…the pain was astounding but Tommy was so sure he was still asleep. He had been asleep hadn't he? It couldn't be a dream though; it was too real, and too painful. The darkness was suffocating like that transformation, those sticky green cobwebs that cocooned him and the dull flickering of Rita's candles and that unending laughter, his laughter.

"_I have the coin and the power, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"_ His voice, except that it wasn't it…it had to be someone else's.

The cobwebs were tightening, suffocating him. He yelled, this couldn't be happening it had to be a dream; that had been a long time ago, it was done and forgotten it was over.

"_Tommy!"_ No, that voice again, he struggled to be free; his own voice frightened him. There were hands pulling at him, he struggled to get away and felt the cobwebs loosening, he had to be free…

The hard jolt sent pain through his body, he was tensed like a bow and his hand was wrapped around the throat of someone. The anger and fear coursed through him and he was all but blinded by it, but the hands and the cobwebs were gone.

"Tommy." The voice was a hoarse gasp and hands scrabbled at his wrist. "Tommy!"

His vision cleared and he was left staring up at Grace, her eyes were huge in her pale face. They lay on the floor beside the bed, the covers twisted around him and Grace was sprawled half on top of him.

"Tommy." She gasped his name again. "Tommy…I can't….Tommy." her hands pulled at his wrist, he stared in horror as he saw his hand wrapped around her throat, the cords in his arm standing out as he squeezed.

Tommy swore letting go with such force that she was pushed backwards to fall against the side of the bed until she ended up on her back on the floor, coughing and rubbing her throat.

Tommy struggled to control his breathing, he felt clammy; the sweat on his body beginning to dry. What had he done? He summoned the courage and pulled his shaky body towards Grace, she still lay on the floor her hands covering her face.

"Grace?" His voice wobbled, he had to take a deep breath to stop the tears he could feel prickling his eyelids. The only reply was a stifled sob which stabbed him in the region of his heart.

With great daring he lifted her and pulled her into his arms. To his relief she let him and curled into him, hiding her face in his chest where he could feel the dampness of her tears. "You wouldn't wake up," She sniffed through her tears. "I tried to…I tried."

Tommy hushed her and held her closer. "I'm so sorry Grace, I'm so sorry." She simply curled further into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Tommy lost track of how long they say there together on the floor.

_**A/N There we are another chapter. Please tell me what you think as I hate bridging chapters, they always just seem so crap to me, it does however lead the way to some more interesting developments which you will see later… As always read and review!! Oh and quotes are from the first series of Power Rangers and the introduction of Tommy (copyright etc)**_


	7. Journey

Chapter 7 – Journey

**Chapter 7 – Journey**

Tommy lifted the last case into the trunk of the car and closed the boot with a sigh, he stood in the middle of the drive with his hands on his hips watching Grace lock the door behind her. He should really ask her to move in, she was around his house most of the time anyway and he'd even given her a key, mostly because it was nice to come home and find that she'd cooked dinner. He smiled at that thought, it was a little selfish but it was one of those little things that had changed everything, he hadn't realized that his house had felt lonely and empty when the four ravenous teens hadn't been in it but Grace's presence there made it better. She turned and smiled back as though she'd felt him watching before turning back to the door, the lock was always a little stiff.

They hadn't really spoken about the events of two days ago, Tommy had been glad of that; he hadn't wanted to talk about it, he still didn't understand and the memory of her pale and frightened face still haunted him. A life of fighting and karate had left him well trained and strong, he could quite easily have snapped her neck. He had worried about her being afraid of him but after what had seemed like hours of sitting on the floor they had simply clambered onto the bed where she had fallen asleep straight away. He had been tired but too afraid to go back to sleep, what if he strangled her in his sleep? It was probably silly but still the thought troubled him, if he wasn't in control when he slept what else could he do without realizing?

Grace hadn't spoken about it either; Tommy was sure that she must still be frightened about it but strangely she had taken to staying closer to him, keeping an eye on him no doubt and looking after him. It said something that she hadn't kept away and had even taken it upon herself to look out for him, in fact the only time she had left the house was to pack her clothes. When she had woken she had simply asked him how he felt, when he'd told her he was okay she had just hugged him long and hard before going in the shower. It was the bruises that made him feel guilty; evidence of just how hard he had held her. Small grey bruises could be seen on one of her arms, when he had touched them she had gently told him that he had been dreaming and trying to stop her when she had been trying to wake him. The worst were on her neck however; luckily they were hidden by her hair and she had not mentioned them, if anything she seemed to be going to a concerted effort to hide them from him.

Part of Tommy just wanted to push her away in case he hurt her again, he sometimes felt like he couldn't be around her because it just reminded him of what a danger he was to her. The rest of him wanted to keep her close, hold on to her and promise never to hurt her again. The truth was that he was starting to get frightened, he didn't understand what was happening to him; the irrational spurts of anger, the nightmares and that voice inside of his head. He settled himself into the front seat of the car and scrubbed his fingers through his hair. Perhaps he was going crazy and Grace was the only thing that was keeping him sane.

Grace finally managed to lock the door and slipped the key back into the pocket of her jacket. When she turned towards the car she saw Tommy sat waiting, he had that expression she had seen a lot over the last few days; his face was carefully blank but his eyes looked sad and serious. She could guess only half of what he was thinking, he hadn't told her all of it, of that she was sure but she couldn't force it out of him; whatever it was he seemed determined to work it out himself.

She slid into the seat next to him and smiled again. "Ready?" he asked, sliding on his sunglasses.

"Yep, I think I managed to lock your hellish door. I'm sure you only asked me because you like watching me struggle!"

Tommy simply grinned at her. "Ready to meet the rest of my dysfunctional family?"

Grace took a deep breath. "Lets hope so."

Tommy squeezed her hand in reply. "You'll be fine." He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Grace watched the house disappear behind the trees and took another deep breath. It was now or never and strangely despite her nerves she was looking forward to meeting his friends. They hadn't spoken about what had happened and she was sure that bringing it up wouldn't help, but something had to be done because something was definitely wrong. Tommy's friends may be just the people she needed to help her.

_**A/N Yet another bridging chapter I'm afraid but now hopefully we'll get onto the good stuff! Yey! Anyhow please tell me what you think and the next chapter should be along soon, probably the next two weeks as I'm off to visit a friend for a few days. See you soon! xxx**_


	8. Friends Again

**Okay, so long time no see. (As I pointed out in my personal bio.)How are you all? You'll have to forgive the shortness and honestly lack of excitement in this chapter but I am sooo out of practice it's insane, I can only hope things will get better!  
**

**Grace meets the old ranger teams and is a little overwhelmed…  
**

**Chapter 8 – Friends Again  
**

"Tommy!!" The shriek pierced Grace's ears and she noticed Tommy could barely contain his wince, although it was quickly followed by a large smile for the petite brunette running at him with her arms spread wide. She recognized the tiny pink ranger instantly and she seemed to have barely changed at all.

Tommy swept the small woman into his arms and twirled her around whilst she laughed, when he at last set her down she was flushed and grinning. Grace tried to tuck every insecurity that had just surfaced away; this was most definitely not the time or the place to have a small mental breakdown…

"Tommy?" A soft voice made her look up. _Oh great, there was the other one_.

Kat also seemed to have remained exactly the same with her pale blonde hair and pretty features; Grace wished she could sink into the ground without anyone noticing. _Ex-girlfriends_ the mantra in her head whispered over and over again, _sure_ said another voice inside of her, _but did they have to be so pretty?_

She sighed. This was going to be a long couple of weeks.

* * *

Tommy grabbed Kat in a big hug and then seeing Kim about to tear up, grabbed her with the other arm. He could see the other rangers walking towards him their own smiles plastered onto their faces, and for a moment he was a kid again hanging out with his friends just as they had all those years ago.

They all piled in around him, talking and laughing each grabbing him for a hug and kisses, and Trini started to cry still smiling all the while.

Jason was the first to disengage and walked over to Grace who had been smiling at the big puppy pile of friends, too happy to feel left out. She looked up at Jason and for a moment she wasn't sure what to do, Jason solved the problem however by pulling her into a bear hug.

"You got him to come." He said as he squeezed her.

"Jason," she said breathlessly, trying to catch some air over his large shoulder. "He would have come anyway, I really didn't do anything!"

"Jason, you're crushing her!" Kim's admonition floated over to them.

Jason pulled back and smiled down at Grace. "Do you really believe he would have come?" He asked, but before she could answer the others came to greet her.

"You must be Grace." Tanya said, "It's so nice to meet you!"

"Yes." Said Kim who turned and glared at Tommy. "At last."

"We've heard a lot about you." Continued Kat.

"You have?" Grace dreaded to think what had been said, she blushed and looked over at Jason and Tommy; they both looked a little embarrassed.

"Why don't we show you where you'll be sleeping?" Kim said excitedly. "We've got such a nice house, its right by the lake! Adam's dad owns it." Grace turned and looked at the quiet man who had his arm tucked around Tanya's waist.

"He did own it," Adam explained, "he signed it over to me a few years ago, call it an inheritance." He smiled at Kim. "So any time you feel like reminiscing you can pop down Kim!"

"We used to come here a lot," Aisha explained to Grace. "We were always coming here for spring break, when the world didn't need saving of course!"

"Come on!" Kim grabbed Grace's arm and started to veer her in the direction of the house, the other girls grabbed the cases and quickly followed.

"Hey!" Yelled Rocky who was cracking open the beers. "Where are you all going?"

"Its girly time!" Aisha called back to them.

"Already?" Jason shouted after them.

Grace was struggling not to feel overwhelmed. "Um, Tommy?" She called back over her shoulder.

"Umm, I'm sure you'll be fine!" He said with a wave as they disappeared.

He looked at Zack. "She will be, right?"

_**A/N I know it's a short one and not the most amazing thing I've ever written but you'll have to forgive me, I'm rusty!**_


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